Holding The Fort
by NeverTooOldToBeNerdy
Summary: Family's stick together.   What is important to one member is important to all.   Sometimes, when you can't be there for someone you love, you have to hope that someone else will step into the breach for you.


**A/N: Just a little thing that popped, almost fully formed, into my head.**

**It wasn't until my second edit that I realised I had one of the major characters totally silent - wierd huh?**

**I have no idea what happened before are after this moment I captured. Let your own mind run free, maybe someone out there can use this as a prompt for their own masterpiece?**

_**DISCLAIMER: Not claiming to own Glee, just love it so.**_

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><p>.<p>

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Finn Hudson put his game on pause and slowly made his way down the stairs and to the front door where sporadic knocking was slowly dying out.

"...Blaine? Blaine...dude...what happened? Are you ok?"

The figure standing in the doorway was a far cry from the usual dapper matinee-idol that Finn thought of when he thought about his brother's boyfriend.  
>His hair was messed up, with barely any gel remaining in it, and the curls were bedraggled and sticking in all directions. His clothes were muddy and torn, face bruised and as Finn took in the entire picture he noticed what looked like dried blood on Blaine's left wrist and hand.<p>

The boy was swaying.

"Oh sorry Blaine...come in, quick. Sit down over here dude."

Finn kicked the door closed with his foot as he turned to help Blaine sway and stagger his way to the sofa in the living room.

He wasn't the most observant or smartest of people, but Finn did have experience with a lot of sports injuries, and the way Blaine was holding himself, coupled with the way he was seriously favouring his right leg meant that there was more to this picture than careless hair-care and a fall in the mud.

"Would you...do you want a glass of water or something?"

Blaine still hadn't spoken.

"Kurt's not here man. He went down to the garage this morning to work a shift for his dad. He said it was because he needed money for some new sweater vest he saw online, but I think he just needed some alone time with Burt."

Finn noted how Blaine sat in the corner of the large sofa, his feet drawn up under him and his arms wrapped around his wet body.

"I'll... I'll go get you a towel or something man."

Finn almost ran out of the room and upstairs.

He didn't know what to do.

He liked Blaine, but he really didn't know him that well, not well enough to handle...whatever this was.

He grabbed his phone off the desk and rang Kurt.

No answer.

He tried again, walking out into the hallway to just listen if Blaine was ok.  
>He heard music coming from Kurt's room.<p>

Opening the door, praying that Kurt, when he found out about this, and Finn knew he would find out about him opening the door without permission – Finn saw Kurt's phone still sitting in its charger beside the makeup mirror.

For a few seconds Finn went blank, then his brain finally turned over and he dialled the number for the garage.

"Hummel Tires and Lube, how can we help you today?"  
>It was Mitch, the guy who was teaching Finn how to rotate tires.<p>

"Mitch, it's Finn, I need Kurt, it's urgent."

Mitch must have heard the undercurrent of panic in Finn's voice because he dropped the phone on the desk and Finn could hear him calling out.

"I'll take over kid, Burt, which end do you need supported first? Finn sounded pretty worked up, I bet he's forgotten how to take the bread out of the toaster again."

Finn couldn't make out Kurt's snippy reply.

"Finn, what have you burnt, broken or lost now."

"Kurt, it's Blaine. You need to get home. I think something bad has happened. He's ok, but he looks like someone really beat up on him. I...I don't know what to do Kurt. He hasn't said anything, not a word. What do I do? "

Finn could hear Kurt shouting for his father.

"Ok Finn, we're going to be there in about half an hour, forty five minutes at the most. You need to hold the fort for me, ok? Just...just try to make Blaine comfortable till I get there. You don't have to do anything. Actually, it might be better that you don't. Don't ask questions or try to find out what happened, please? But Finn, if he wants to talk, if he wants someone to listen, then listen to him, I know it might make you uncomfortable, but...I need you to do this...got that?"

"Don't mess things up more, but if he needs to talk, don't stop him. Even I can manage that Kurt."

"Is he..."

"No more questions Kurt. I've got this for now. You and Burt hurry home, I'll make sure he knows he's safe now."

"Finn...please...Finn, he's ...he's my world. Please be careful."

The perfect voice cracked.  
>Finn gulped as he heard, for the first time, the depth of emotion in Kurt's voice.<p>

He'd only heard that tone when Kurt spoke about his mom and father.

"I'll be there for him Kurt, until you can be."

Finn hung up and went to grab some towels, and some of his clean, dry clothes.

When he came downstairs Blaine hadn't moved.

"Kurt left his phone here when he left this morning, if you were trying to...of course you must have tried to call him. I called the garage, Burt's driving him back as fast as he can get here."

Blaine stayed in his almost foetal position, but his dark eyes flashed as they looked briefly at Finn in gratitude.

"I brought you some clothes if you want to change out of...and a towel..."

Finn was captured by the flashing eyes again.

"If...if you want to...Kurt will kill both of us if he finds out I let you sit around in wet, muddy clothes. He's already going to be mad about the couch...no! Stay there, it's already dirty now, no sense in trying to hide it. If you want to change or something, here are some clothes, or if you need a shower, you can use...actually, you'd probably prefer Kurt's, it's cleaner than mine. I'm going to go grab myself a drink if you want to change, just...or...or not."

Finn could almost feel the pain and fear radiating off Blaine's body.

"Blaine...dude...you're safe ok? I don't...Kurt told me not to...I don't need to know what happened, especially because I suspect you don't really want to think about it. But you should know...I'm here, you're here, you are safe. I've...I got your back man, ok?"

Blaine nodded slightly and Finn smiled.

"Ok, you want something to drink too?"

Blaine nodded slightly.

"Ok, back in a second."

Finn went into the kitchen and took a couple of glasses from the cupboard.

What would...damn, I forgot to ask Blaine what he wanted.  
>Water? Juice? Cola?<p>

Hmm, from that swollen lip I think he might have a split in it, or he's bitten the inside.  
>Not cola then, or any sodas, it would sting.<p>

Water?

What would Kurt...

A few minutes later Finn returned to the living room to find Blaine still sitting exactly as before.  
>Finn was concentrating on not spilling the drinks he had made.<p>

"I made warm milk. When I get upset, Kurt makes it for me. I never used to like it much, but it kinda grows on you, you know?"

He placed the mugs of steaming milk onto the coffee table and thought carefully.

"Blaine...would you...I feel like I need to sit beside you. Would that be ok? Or I can just sit on the chair here if you..."

Blaine's eyes darted to the space beside him, and then to Finn's eyes. He bit his lip slightly and nodded, once.

Finn carefully sat next to the boy.

He hadn't been able to see it, but sitting beside Blaine meant Finn could now feel the constant tremor that was running through the shorter boy's body.

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

Finn drank his milk.

Blaine reached for his mug, but stopped, hissing with pain as the movement pulled at something in his chest.

Finn put his empty mug on the table and took Blaine's, offering it to him.

Blaine sipped it carefully, and offered a slight smile.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes.

Blaine drank his milk.

After several more minutes, Blaine's mug was empty and Finn put it back on the table for him.

"Kurt should be here soon."

Blaine made no reply.

"Was the milk ok?"

Blaine nodded slightly and his trembling became more apparent.

"Do you need me to call...?"

For the first time since sitting on the couch, Blaine changed position.

Hissing with obvious pain he sat up a little, and reached out a hand toward Finn.

The hand stopped suddenly and Blaine began to draw back into himself.

Finn was never the brightest spark in the fire, but he knew what to do.

He opened his arms and drew Blaine's small, wet, shaking body into a loose hug.

"It's ok Blaine. I got you. We're all here for you. Whatever happened, you just have to hold on to us. You are safe. Kurt loves you, Burt is here for you, and I am too. Whatever you need, I'm here for you man? Ok?"

Blaine began to sob softly.

Finn carefully and gently placed his arms around the boy and just held him.

Blaine pressed his cheek closer into Finn's chest and his tears began to wash his face clean.

Kurt would be there soon.

Until then, Finn was holding the fort for him.


End file.
